Age-by-age guide to hiking with kids

If being outside is a passion you want to share with your family, hiking is a great option. Here are my age-by-age tips for hitting the trail:

Baby 0 to 6 months

Part of the joy of hiking is seeing and discovering new things, whether it's the flowers by the side of a trail or a distant cloud formation on the horizon. And there is no creature more ready to discover new stuff than a baby, even a newborn.

To get started, start thinking of your stroller walks around the block as a "hike." You can begin pointing out anything and everything that crosses your path. Some of my fondest memories were kneeling next to my little stroller-bound babies and watching their minds being blown as they followed my pointing finger to see the late afternoon light filtering through a network of tree branches.

Once your baby is old enough – and if you don't mind wearing a carrier or have a stroller that can handle rough terrain (typically a big-wheeled stroller like a BOB) – you can hit the local trails and do some serious mileage. Which is something you might want to do because come the toddler year you likely won't be going for distance, at least not with your kid along.

Finally, pick up your baby and get her close to the action, whether it's a rose blossom or a line of ants. Sure, she won't know what the hell you're talking about but your enthusiasm and curiosity set an important example.

Baby 6 to 12 months

I'm a firm believer that once your kid has the neck strength to handle it (roughly 5 to 6 months), you need to get a baby backpack. Of course, some kids hate the things. But if you luck out and your baby enjoys riding shotgun (or is it rear gun?), wow, you can take him almost everywhere.

That said, it's important to be mindful of what your kid is capable of and his comfort. Holding up a noggin is hard work for a baby and little ones can poop out pretty quick. My kids did well sleeping in the pack, but I know of others who didn't. Also, while you might be working up a sweat, your kid is not. So dress your child appropriately for not doing anything outside (the old rule of thumb that children should wear one more layer than you'd be comfortable in is a good one).

Once you're finally moving on the trail, I always found one of the plusses of the baby backpack I used (a Kelty) was that it allowed my child and I to share the same eye level. So much of a kid's life is spent looking up that I thought it was neat that as I was pointing things out we were sharing the same view. And I didn't have to bend down (or pick him up) to share a vista or allow for inspection of a tree's leaf or blossom.

Of course, kids can get bored pretty quickly, even in the most stunning surroundings. I usually attached some sort of toy to the backpack within easy reach of Stella or Theo. It provided a distraction that usually lasted just long enough to get me back to the trailhead.

Toddler

Many toddlers will still enjoy riding in a backpack but their learning to walk will surely have them wanting to get their shoes down on the ground next to yours.

When that happens, hiking with a toddler becomes more an exercise of establishing the idea of hitting the trail rather than actually going anywhere. Which is perfectly cool as long as you manage your expectations accordingly.

When Stella was learning to walk, I took her for "hikes," which were essentially our exploring the dirt around the trailheads near the Dadler home for different colored rocks. Same thing with Theo. But again, it doesn't matter how far you go, it matters what happens along the way…

Also, you should be aware that you might start a hike with your toddler in your pack only to end it with you holding a hand. If you're tall like me, this can do some amazingly bad things to your back. If this happens a lot, you may want to abandon the backpack altogether.

Preschooler & Big Kid

All the aches and pains you may suffer guiding a toddler 400 feet down a trail and back have a big payoff: real hikes with your kids.

Of course, just because I write this doesn't mean your preschooler wakes up one day yelling, "Let's go on a hike!" Nope. You still need to build the pattern that this is something your family does.

Hiking with other families helps a lot. I can't overstate this. It's amazing how kids you were muttering about as being future couch potatoes one moment leap forward when a friend is by their side.

Bribery also works, and unlike some parents, I think it has its role. Besides, who doesn't like an ice cream cone after a nice hike through the woods?

Planning your hikes takes on more importance with kids who can actually walk. It pays to choose trails that are easy and have a nice payoff (a pond, a waterfall, a view, great climbing trees). Also, don't mess around with length. While it's good to challenge your kids, wiping them out risks killing the hiking spark you've been working to ignite.

Snacks and water are an even bigger deal with the older kids. They can eat like horses when exerting themselves, so bring ample supplies. To that end, I've found that it really helps designing a hike around a picnic – and leaving plenty of time for snack or water breaks throughout.

As for clothes, just as layers work for you, they work for your kids. I know there are hiking boots for kids, but I've never made the investment, letting Stella and Theo roll in their sneakers. I like the fact that they are lighter and, honestly, they're not carrying the heavy load that requires big-time ankle support and we're not heading anywhere that demands lugged soles.

Finally, if you have backpacking on your list for future family adventures, you can plant that seed in your child's mind by having your preschooler or big kid carry their food and water for the hike in a small backpack (REI has some okay options).

Okay, that's what I've got, what I've learned in getting Stella and Theo out hiking. I can't guarantee these tips will work for you, but my kids have a comfort with the outdoors that I think will pay them dividends down the road (even if they decide that all the light and space they've seen was harmful and they never hike as adults). Hope to see you on the trail!

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